Turnabout Date
by SummerEliza
Summary: When a man is murdered and his girlfriend is wrongly accused, who better to go to than Phoenix Wright? Of course, cracking this case won't exactly be easy.......
1. Do You Know These People Maya?

Disclaimer: I do not own Phoenix Wright. It belongs to someone richer and more awesome than I am.

* * *

**November 15, 10:39 am**

**Wright & Co. Law Offices**

I watch Maya consume burgers at a terrifying pace. My wallet gets emptier and emptier until I have no money left. "Maya! Please, stop eating!" I begged her.

"Nick!" she yells. "Nick!"

I jerked out of sleep quickly.

_(A dream…. It felt so real.)_

I raised my head and saw Maya standing in front of my desk. "Are you finally awake?" she asks impatiently. "We need to start investigating!"

I blink a few times, still drowsy. "Investigating what?" I ask.

"For our new case of course!" she says, clapping her hands happily.

"New case?"

_(If I were a cartoon character, dollar signs would have been flashing in my eyes. I am flat broke and Maya's eating habits aren't helping one bit.)_

"Yep! We've got to head over to the detention center right now!" She nods authoritatively.

* * *

**November 15, 11:13 am**

**Detention Center**

**Visiting Area**

A girl with curly brown hair is waiting for us at the Detention Center. She is wearing jeans and a black hoodie. "Are you Maria Liam?" I ask.

She looks up, and her piercing blue eyes startle me. She nods and starts to play with her hair nervously. "Are you Phoenix Wright?" she asks.

"Yes."

"Maya told me about you. I hope you can help me!" She turns a pleading expression on me.

"Before I take on your case, I just have one question for you. Did you do it?"

"No, of course not! I could never kill my darling Chase!"

_(She actually looks a little insulted. I had to ask!)_

"Maya and I are going to do a little investigating. We'll come back later to ask you some questions."

_(Maya, I wish you had told me more about this case before dragging me over here.)_

Maya waves at Maria as we walk out the door. "Don't worry, we'll make sure that you're found innocent!" she calls behind her.

* * *

**November 15, 12:02 pm**

**King Pins Bowling Alley**

**Parking Lot**

_(So this is where the murder was committed. It's really…. out of the way.) _

The parking lot is crawling with cops. Of course, the most energetic detective of all was there, as usual.

"Hey pal!" Gumshoe says excitedly.

"Hi, Gumshoe. So you've been assigned to this case too?"

"We seem to have a lot of cases together, huh?" He starts fiddling with his coat.

_(When is he going to get rid of that filthy coat?)_

"Gumshoe, how's the investigation going? You found anything to help Maria out?" Maya asks worriedly.

_(Is she friends with Maria? She still hasn't told me anything about this case, except for Maria's name.)_

Gumshoe shook his head. "It's not looking too good for her right now. She's the only person that could have possibly killed him." Maya hung her head.

"Gumshoe, could you give me an overview of the case?" I ask.

"You took the case without knowing anything about it?" Gumshoe gives me a reproving look.

"That's very irresponsible, Nick!" Maya admonished me.

_(Maya……Exactly whose fault do you think that is?)_

"Well, the victim is Chase Ringley, a 22 year old male. He was stabbed to death in this parking lot last night. His girlfriend, Maria Liam is the prime suspect. The two were on a double date with the suspect's sister, Sophie Liam, and her boyfriend, Harris Scott," Gumshoe explains.

"Were there any witnesses?" I ask.

"Just one. Gregory Terot, a worker at the bowling alley."

_(I should probably go and talk to this guy.)_

"Here's the autopsy report." Gumshoe handed the file to me.

"Where can I find Mr. Terot?" I ask him. He shrugs.

"Probably inside."

* * *

**November 15, 12:09 pm**

**King Pins Bowling Alley**

Maya and I walked up to the front counter of the bowling alley. The man at the front counter flashes us a thousand watt smile. He's wearing a nice suit and has slicked back hair. I kind of wonder why he's working at a bowling alley when he looks so fancy. "Hello, and welcome to King Pins Bowling Alley! How can I help you?" he asks.

"I need to talk to Gregory Terot," I said.

His face falls. "Oh. You're with the police."

_(Wow, that's a swift mood change. It was almost faster than Maya's mood swings!)_

"Gregory's at the snack station." He gestures vaguely towards the right.

"Thank you Mister-" I quickly check his name tag. "Post"

"No problem," he mutters.

Maya and I start walking to the right, hoping to find the snack station. "Gosh, that guy was sure depressed to find that we weren't customers," Maya says.

"How much business do you think this place gets? It's kind of out of the way," I comment.

"Aha! The snack station!" Maya announces.

_(I think a gnat has a longer attention span than she does.)_

A man that looks like he's in his late 20's is standing at the counter. He looks like a stereotypical pizza guy kind of person, complete with shoulder length greasy hair, red King Pins Bowling Alley shirt, and black cap.

"What can I do for you?" he says in a monotone voice.

"We need to ask you some questions about the murder last night," Maya tells him.

_(Maya, I'm supposed to say that!)_

"You a lawyer?" he asks.

"Yes, I'm a lawyer. Are you Gregory Terot?" I ask him.

"Yep. I'm the one who saw that girl kill her boyfriend." He grimaces. "It's a right, nasty business."

"Could you tell me what you saw last night?"

"I saw that girl kill her boyfriend!"

_(That was totally unhelpful.)_

"Could you be more specific please?"

He rolls his eyes. "That girl stabbed her boyfriend with a knife."

"And by that girl, you mean Maria?"

"Who else?"

_(I seriously doubt I'm going to get anything out of this guy. I'll just wait until the trial tomorrow. Now that I have some more of the facts, I think I'll go talk to Maria.)_

_

* * *

_

**November 15, 1:07 pm**

**Detention Center**

**Visiting Area**

Maria seems even more distraught than when we left her last. She is frantically twisting her hair around her finger. "Maria, could you tell me what exactly happened last night?"

She took a deep breath. "Chase and I left the date early. We were walking to the car when Chase got a call. I sat in the car while he talked on the phone outside. I looked away for a second and then when I looked at him again he had fallen to the ground. I got out to see what had happened to him and then I fainted at the sight of his body with a knife in it. When I woke up I went to call the police." She looks at me hopefully, as if she thinks that I can win based on that information.

_(That whole story sounds pretty fishy, even to me. But there's no Psyche Lock so she's not lying.)_

"Did you see the person who killed him?"

She shook her head. "It was dark, so I could have missed them."

"Was there anyone else in the lot?"

"Not that I saw. The alley is sort of out of the way. We were the only customers."

_(How is that place still open? It's in the middle of nowhere!)_

"How long do you think you were unconscious?"

She shook her head sheepishly. "Truthfully, I have no idea. I didn't have a watch."

_(So there's a possibly a lot of time that's unaccounted for. That could be useful.)_

"It couldn't have been that long because it was drizzling and I wasn't that wet when I woke up," she continues.

_(Darn. That could have smashed the prosecutor's case to pieces. Possibly. And who is the prosecutor in this case anyway? I should ask someone….)_

I nod my head slightly, resolving to do this later, and return to the situation at hand. "Why did you leave the date early? Was it planned?"

"Of course not!" She starts to twist and untwist her hair around her finger even faster than before. Chains wrapped around her body and three locks slammed themselves into place.

_(A Psyche Lock! Why does it seem like everyone always has something to hide? I probably should ask her about this later. I have absolutely no chance of breaking it with the meager amount of information that I have.)_

"Hey, what was Sophie doing?" Maya asks.

_(Maya. Please, stay out of this!)_

"She was with Harris, so the two of them have an alibi." Maria smiles, rather happily for someone who is a suspect in a murder case.

_(Maya, seriously, do you know these people?)_

"Was there anyone else that you remember seeing at the alley?" I ask, hoping for a lucky break.

"Nope," she says, dashing my hopes. "It's a pretty small, local alley so not many people know about it. I think the only people there were Sophie, Harris, Chase, me, and the people who work there."

_(I should find out who was working that night. And I need to talk to Sophie and Harris.)_

_

* * *

_

Yes, my first Phoenix Wright fanfic! This was my obsession pre-TDI. I was super excited when I found out that there's a section for Phoenix Wright on Fanfiction! :)

Gosh, I need a beta- reader for this..... Anyone want to volunteer? I need someone who doesn't mind telling me when my timelines and plot stuff don't make sense. And they need to be able to spot OC-ness and bash it out of my writing. Any takers?


	2. Is She Flirting With Me?

**November 15, 1:43 pm**

**King Pins Bowling Alley**

"Hurry up Nick!" Maya calls back to me as she waltzes through the door.

_(Where does she get her energy from? Wait, it's probably from all of those burgers I pay for.)_

"Can we get some burgers after we're done here?" she asks when I catch up to her.

_(I jinxed myself.)_

"We'll see," I say noncommittally.

_(Maybe she'll forget.) _I almost laugh at myself. _(Never mind, Maya never forgets about burgers.)_

"It's deserted," Maya comments. She was right; the bowling alley was dead silent. All the police were clustered outside, and most of them seemed to be taking a lunch break. Even though the alley was open for business, there was nobody in sight.

_(Why this place is still open I'll never know.)_

Maya starts to smile deviously and I know what's crossing her mind. "Now we have time to snoop around!" she cries.

_(I knew it.)_

The two of us look around the bowling lanes, hoping to find something interesting. Our search turns up nothing. I heft a bowling ball, wondering if there is anything to be found in this place that would help our case. "Sir?" I jump at the sudden voice behind me. I turn and see a short blonde girl wearing the bowling alley uniform. "If you want to play you need to pay at the counter," she says in her breathy voice.

"Oh, sorry I'm not going to play," I say, hastily replacing the bowling ball. Her face suddenly resembles a kicked puppy. "So, you work here?" I ask.

"Yes," she says, not cheering up.

"Do you know who was here on the night of the murder?"

She looks at me out of the corner of her eye, quite a feat since she was standing facing me. "Why do you want to know?"

"I'm Maria Liam, the suspect's, lawyer."

"Oh. Her." Her face holds a hint of annoyance.

"Do you know her?" I ask.

The familiar chains wrap themselves around her slim figure and a lock slams into place. "What's it to you?" she says rudely. "I'm going to go." Before she walks away, I sneak a glance at her name tag.

_(What's it to me? Jamie, it's my business. I'm a lawyer.)_

"That was rude," Maya says once Jamie is out of earshot. I nod in agreement. The doors of the alley open and Mr. Post enters. I quickly go over to him.

"Mr. Post, who was working on the night of the murder?" I ask.

He pauses to think. "Well, Gregory was working of course, and Jamie Michen was also working. Have you met her? She's quite a nice person and I'm sure she'd be glad to help you two."

"Wasn't that nice to us," Maya mutters. I elbow her. Thankfully, Mr. Post doesn't seem to hear her.

"I wasn't here last night because it was my daughter's birthday," he continues. I nod.

"Is that it? Only two people were working last night?"

"We don't have the funds to employ anyone else," Mr. Post says sadly. "But this way we can afford to pay them well!" I hear a snicker come from the snack bar. I manage to look behind Mr. Post and see Jamie standing behind the counter. We bid farewell to Mr. Post and make our way over to Jamie.

"Jamie, you were working last night-" I say.

"What's it to you?" she interrupts rudely.

Maya and I roll our eyes together. "Did you see anything?" I ask.

She ignores the question and stares past us. The chains and lock appear again.

_(Ugh, I don't think she's going to be very helpful. I can't call her to the stand unless I can prove that she has something to testify about.)_

"Let's go Maya," I say, giving up. Maya gives Jamie a piercing glare. I have to pull her away. Finally, she stops giving Jamie a stare-down when she's out of sight.

"What do you think we should do next?" I ask Maya in an attempt to distract her.

She suddenly perks up. "Let's get lunch!" I sighed.

**November 15, 2:50 pm**

**Burger Haus**

"I'm starving!" Maya proclaims as we slip into a booth.

_(My wallet….It's doomed.)_

She waves at the waitress. "Sophie! Why are you working today?" The waitress turns around and my eyes grow wide in shock.

_(Is this Sophie, Maria's sister? She looks exactly like her! )_

Sophie comes and stands by our table. The only differences between her and her sister are about two inches in height and a pair of pretty green eyes. "Hey Maya! I can't stop working, even with what's happening. I'm low on money and the rent is due next week." She flashes me a disarming smile. "Hi Nick!"

"Hi," I say unsurely.

_(Only Maya calls me that.)_

"Maya's told me loads about you! And I think I met you once. Do you remember?"

I shake my head. "No."

"Well, I don't either really. I feel like I would remember meeting you!" She giggles.

_(This is…. strange. I feel like she's…. nah, couldn't be.)_

"Or maybe you wouldn't," Maya says flatly.

_(What's with the glare Maya?)_

"No, maybe I wouldn't," Sophie concludes. She grins mischievously. "But I probably would." Maya's glare-o-meter goes up a few notches after that comment. She pulls out a notepad. "Maya, do you want the usual?" she asks.

"Mmmhmm," Maya replies.

Sophie turns and looks at me. "And for Nick?"

"I'll have a salad."

"That's it?" she looks at me curiously.

_(I can't support Maya's burger eating habits if I get anything expensive. And the salad is the cheapest thing on the menu.)_

I chuckle nervously and wave the question off. She gives me a pseudo-serious look. "We can't have that! I'll get you a Smiley Burger Special." She scribbles on her notepad. My face must have given away my horror at the price. "On the house!" she tells me.

"Oh. Thanks!" I say, relieved.

In about ten minutes she brings us our burgers. "Enjoy!" she says, giggling. She waggles her fingers at me and walks away.

_(Okay, I know that it couldn't be this, but it really does feel like she's flirting with me.)_

Maya looks at Sophie's retreating figure stonily. "Why is she always like that? And she knows…" she mutters.

"Knows what?" I ask.

Maya dismisses my question with a wave of her hand. "Nothing."

She wolfs down the giant burger quickly and starts in on mine. I try to defend my burger from her. Sophie comes back to see how we're doing. "Do you two need anything?" she asks.

"Nothing really. But I do need to talk to you about yesterday," I say.

"Well." She pauses and looks at her watch. "I get off at five. I'll meet you at the alley?"

I nod. "That's fine."

She smiles. "It's a date then! Hey, could you do me a favor?"I make a noncommittal gesture. "Could you give this to Maria? I owe her some serious favors after what she did for me last night." She hands me a paper bag. "It's a lunch."

"Okay," I agree. She smiles, grabs our empty plates, and walks away.

_(Wait a second. Empty plates? Maya!)_

She licks her lips and giggles guiltily. I mourn the loss of my burger for a moment. Suddenly, something that I had wanted to ask Maya occurs to me. "Maya, how do you know Sophie and Maria?"

"They both work here! I spend a lot of time at Burger Haus you know. This is what I do when you're too busy to talk to me. And when I'm not training, of course." She smiles and nods at me.

_(She would know the waitresses at Burger Haus personally.)_

"I have their numbers in my cell phone!" she tells me excitedly. "You know, the one you got me for my birthday. The big two oh!"

"I know how old you are Maya."

_(Even after she's been that old for a month, she still loves to brag about it.)_

"Nick, your birthday is coming up." she says sadly.

"Why do you look sad about that?"

"Well, this is the only time every year where I get to be only six years younger than you."

"Maya, the age gap between us doesn't get any smaller."

She narrows her eyes. "I can hope."

_(Why are you angry now, Maya? And what are you talking about? I swear, I understand you less and less with every passing day.)_

**November 15, 3:55 pm**

**Detention Center**

**Visiting Area**

I sigh as we find that Maria is in questioning.

_(Who knows how long that's going to take.)_

"Nick, what are we going to do now?" Maya asks me. I shrug. "Can we get some ice cream?" she asks, giving me puppy-dog eyes.

"Maya…."

"Pleeeease?" she pleads.

"Fine," I say, giving up.

**November 15, 4:15 pm**

**Ice Cream Haven**

"Nick, Nick, I want Mint Chocolate Chip!" Maya says happily, staring at the ice cream.

"Right."

_(Five, four, three, two, one.)_

"Or maybe Papaya," she muses.

_(Right on time.)_

"Coffee sounds good too."

The man behind the counter, Leo, notices Maya and me. "Hey guys! Long time no see."

"Yeah, Nick keeps saying that we're on a budget. But really he's just stingy. Stingy!" Maya says loudly. She pokes me playfully. Leo sends me a sympathetic look. He knows about Maya's eating habits.

"So, you guys take your time." He leaves us and goes to the other side of the counter to serve the other customers. By now, he has learned about how long it takes Maya to make a decision about ice cream.

After about fifteen minutes of hemming and hawing on Maya's part, we finally order. "I'd like a double scoop on a cone," she says. "Mocha Chocolate Chip and Cantaloupe, please. With chocolate sprinkles on top."

"I'd like a fudge swirl on a cone, please," I tell Leo. He gives us our ice cream and we walk outside to find a bench.

"You have such boring tastes," Maya tells me. "Here, try mine. Cantaloupe tastes really good with Mocha." She waves her ice cream in my face. I grab her hand, steadying the ice cream, and lick her ice cream.

_(I do not want this ice cream falling. Last time that happened, she pitched a fit and complained about how the new ice cream I bought her wasn't as good as the old one.)_

"Good, right?" she asks. I nod.

_(Surprisingly, Mocha and Cantaloupe actually do taste good together.)_

She sticks her head over and takes a lick of my ice cream. She somehow manages to get ice cream on her nose. "Maya, you've got ice cream on your nose," I say, laughing.

"You two are such a cute couple!" a man walking by says.

_(Why do we get that so often?)_

Maya rubs her nose furiously, blocking her face from my view.

**November 15, 5:23 pm**

**King Pins Bowling Alley**

Sophie waves at us from a table by the snack counter. "Hey guys!" she calls. We stroll over to her. "So, what'd you do while I was at work?"

Maya smiles smugly. "We got ice cream."

_(Why exactly is she smiling like that?)_

Sophie laughs. "I hope you two had fun."

Maya starts looking even smugger. "Oh, we did."

_(Once again, what are they talking about? Somehow, I don't think this is about ice cream.)_

"Sorry to break this up, but can we get down to business?" I ask.

"Of course Nick! Anything for you," Sophie chirps.

"Um. Okay," I say. She laughs at something and I turn to look at Maya who is standing behind me. Maya starts whistling.

_(Maya…..)_

"What exactly happened on the night of the murder?" I ask her.

"Well, Maria and Chase were on a double date with me and Harris. Maria wanted to leave early because she wasn't feeling well. Chase said that he would go with her." She shrugs. "After that, I only know what the police told me. But Maria would never kill anyone!" She glares at me as if I believed that.

"Thanks Sophie. Is there anything else you want to tell us?" I ask.

"Nope." She frowns. "I wish I could help."

Maya gives her a hug. "It's okay Sophie. We'll prove that Maria's innocent!"

_(I don't know if I can do that. This case is turning up more questions than answers. What exactly did Gregory see? What is Maria hiding? Does Jamie know anything about this case? I'm out of time. The trial is tomorrow and I seriously need more evidence.)_

_

* * *

_

_A/N: _I love writing this! It's so much fun, especially since I'm actually doing it from Phoenix's point of view. Normally, I never write from anyones point of view.

If you think that Phoenix and Maya do too much running around, haven't you noticed that they do that in the game? They just constantly go from place to place and it's never mentioned how they get there! (Are they walking?)

Who likes Sophie? She's one of my new favorite OC's that I've written..... Actually, never mind, most of my other OC's are so amazing that I can't pick favorites. (They're amazing to me. I'm not bragging here. I just love writing with them.)

PS- Cantaloupe and Mocha actually do taste really good together. Don't ask how I discovered that.


	3. Mr Wrong

**November 16, 9:53 pm**

**Defendant Lobby No. 4**

"Nick? Nick, are you okay?" Maya asks, her hand on my arm. "You're sweating bullets!" I wave her off distractedly, and go back to contemplating the case.

There are just so many holes in it! With the investigating I did yesterday, all I did was find some of them. Without some solid proof to explain them, most of them can be waved away. Why didn't she see anybody? What exactly happened to Maria when she fell unconscious? How long was she unconscious? Why does everyone have something to hide? I doubt that I'll be able to do anything but stall today.

The large, wooden door on the other side of the room opens and two guards lead Maria in. "Phoenix, Maya!" she says, waving to us.

She just might be my last chance to get anything solid to help my case. "Maria, do you have anything else to tell us about the night of the murder?" I ask her seriously.

Her eyes widen and she visibly retreats within herself. She shakes her head. "No. Nothing at all."

_(I'm doomed……)_

Suddenly, somebody that never fails to help me feel worse before trials arrives. Namely, Gumshoe.

"Mornin' pal!" he booms. He claps me on the back. I teeter on my toes for a moment, pushed off-balance by his strength.

"Hi!" Maya chirps.

"Hi," I say, slightly more reluctantly than Maya.

"My testimony this time will be great!" Gumshoe says confidently. He gives me a thumbs up. "No contradictions!"

We'll see about that. But, there's a first time for everything! "Hey, Gumshoe, who is the prosecutor for this case?" I ask.

"Oh, she's new. She's really nice! Makes you feel comfortable and stuff." He smiles and nods violently. "Ayup."

"Not like some of those other prosecutors," Maya mutters. I cringe, remembering the physical and mental pain most of the other prosecutors have put me through.

_(I've had hot beverages dumped on my head, been whipped, had stuff thrown at me…..But who exactly is this new prosecutor? I asked who she was, not for a description!)_

"Gumshoe, what's her name?" I ask.

"Clara. Clara Storm," he tells me.

"Nick, it's time to go," Maya says, pointing at the clock.

* * *

**November 16, 10:05 am**

**District Court**

**Courtroom No. 3**

"All rise for the honorable Judge Black!" the bailiff calls. We all comply and after a minute, the Judge bangs his gavel.

"Are the defense and the prosecution ready?" he asks. He strokes his black goatee and considers both of us.

_(Hmmm, haven't seen this judge before.)_

"The defense is ready, your honor," I say, nodding.

"The prosecution is ready," a high voice chirps. I look over to the opposite side of the courtroom and see a woman that doesn't really look like a woman. She looks more like a teenager. Wearing neon pink, having your hair in pigtails, and being short simultaneously can do that to you. "Mr. Wright!" Clara says, breaking into a large smile that shows off her dimples. She starts to fiddle with a small ball that she's holding in her hands. "Nice to meet you! I'm so lucky, I get to battle you and it's only my second case!"

"Miss Storm," the judge says. "Please refrain from going off on tangents."

She giggles and smiles sheepishly. "Sorry, sorry! I'm just so excited!"

"We've got this case in the bag," Maya says, leaning over to me. I nod absentmindedly, not really listening. "If she's like that, then-" She pauses and rubs her arm. "OW!" She bends down and picks a rubber band off the ground. I look across the courtroom and see Clara glaring at us, tossing her rubber band ball up and down.

_(I think I just made another enemy in the prosecutor's office….. Darn you Maya!)_

"Miss Storm, what's your opening statement?" the judge asks.

Her eyes narrow and she stops tossing her ball in favor of squeezing it tightly. "At the end of this trial we will know exactly who is 'Wright.' And who is wrong!" She makes air quotes around the word 'right' and I'm pretty sure she wasn't talking about the affirmative word.

_(Yep, I don't think she likes me anymore. Thank you Maya.)_

"All righty then," the judge says. "Miss Storm, your first witness?"

"I'd like to call Dick Gumshoe, the homicide detective, to the stand," she says.

I take a deep breath.

_(It's time. The trial is really starting now.)_

_

* * *

_

**November 16, 10:12 am**

**District Court**

**Courtroom No. 3**

Gumshoe steps onto the stand, smiling confidently. "Name and occupation?" Clara asks.

"Dick Gumshoe, homicide detective," Gumshoe says proudly. Clara smiles at him.

"Tell the court the details of the murder, please," Clara instructs him.

Gumshoe nods and proceeds to do so. "Chase Ringley was stabbed between 10 and 10:30 pm. The cause of death was two fatal knife stabs to the chest. We have recovered the knife. It has no fingerprints on it but is covered in the victim's blood." He pauses and looks at the courtroom with a vacant expression.

"Hold it!" I cry.

"He's not even talking anymore, Mr. Wrong," Clara says, rolling her eyes at me.

I pause, slightly disconcerted. "Um, anyway. I don't understand how any of the information you've presented implicates my client."

"Oh! Did I forget to mention that the weapon was found in her bag?" Gumshoe adds.

_(Yeah. You did.)_

"Isn't it possible that it was planted there?" I point out.

"You're grasping at straws here, Mr. Wrong," Clara tells me.

"I agree," the judge says. "Do you have any evidence to back up this claim?"

I gulp. "Just pointing out a possibility. Erm, Detective, is there anything else you've failed to tell us?"

He looks thoughtful for a moment. "Oh, and a man named Gregory Terot witnessed the crime."

I sigh. "Anything _else_?"

_(You're especially scatter-brained today Gumshoe.)_

"Nope, I think that's it!" he says cheerfully. "I've got a picture of the crime scene to give as evidence though."

"If that's all this witness has to say, I'd like to call Gregory Terot, the witness to the crime, to the stand," I say.

* * *

**November 16, 10:15 am**

**District Court**

**Courtroom No. 3**

I sneak a quick look at the picture of the crime scene as Gregory steps onto the stand. It's a picture of the King Pins parking lot. There are only a few cars in the picture and the car Chase is collapsed next to is nowhere near the others.

"Name and occupation, please," Clara says sweetly.

"Gregory Terot, King Pins employee," he mutters.

"Could you tell the court exactly what you saw that day?" Clara asks.

"Sure," he says sullenly.

_(Man, this guy does not look happy to be here. Or maybe that's his normal expression…..)_

"I was leaving my shift at the bowling alley when it happened," he says.

"What time was that?" I ask him.

"Some time after ten," he replies.

_(Wow. That's just soooo helpful.)_

"Anyway, I was walking to my car when I saw a girl attack a dude."

"Wait, can you be sure about who the girl was?" I ask, desperate to crack this witness's testimony.

"Yes!" he says stubbornly. He raises an accusatory finger towards Maria. "She did it!"

_(Woohoo, thanks for being so clear.)_

"She stabbed the dude with a knife. He fell to the ground real hard."

"She only stabbed him once?" I say, hoping to point out a contradiction in his statement.

"Yep."

_(Yes! We might get somewhere with this! Gumshoe clearly said he was stabbed twice!)_

"Objection!" Clara yells. "It was dark and the witness might not have seen clearly!"

"If the witness could not see clearly, how could he have identified my client so easily?" I counter.

"Hey, I'm sure of what I saw," Gregory interjects. "I could see perfectly clearly. There wasn't any light in the parking lot, but there was a storm. There was lightning and it let me see what was going on."

"So you're sure he was only stabbed once?" I inquire.

"Yeah. He was stabbed once and fell backwards."

_(Wait a second. That's crucial!)_

"Wait a second. You're saying he fell backwards." He nods, giving me a look that says he obviously doesn't understand the significance of this. "I'd like to present this piece of evidence to the court. " I hold up the picture of the crime scene.

"Mr. Wright, what is the significance of that piece of evidence?" the judge says tiredly.

"Please enlighten us, Mr. Wrong," Clara says with a frightening look on her face.

I gulp. "Take a look at the way Mr. Ringley is facing. His feet are pointed towards the camera and his head is farther away. I assume that the picture is taken from the bowling alley-."

"Assume nothing, Mr. Wrong," Clara says sharply.

"So that would mean that Miss Liam would have had to be facing him to have stabbed him in the chest," I continue, slightly shaken by her tone. "If Mr. Terot was truly leaving his shift at the bowling alley as he claims he was, he would have only seen the defendant's back!" I slam my hands on the stand for emphasis. "How could he positively identify her if he only saw her back?" The crowd starts to murmur and I smile, seeing a glimmer of hope.

"I object!" Gregory cries.

_(Did he seriously just object to what I said?)_

"True, I didn't see her face, but I did see her back clearly. Also, there wasn't anybody else it could have been. I could've mistaken her for the other girl that looked like her, but they were wearing different things, and the other girl had her hair up!"

Clara looks downright uncomfortable. "Witness, could you refrain from making my points?"

"So you're saying you could have mistaken her for her sister if they were wearing the same thing and had their hair done the same way?"

I can almost see Clara sweating over there. "I object!" she says forcefully, slamming her fist on the stand. "Calls for speculation on the part of the witness!"

"Sustained," the judge says.

"The point still stands that the witness never saw my clients face," I say, my confidence growing. "It could have been any other person with similar hair and clothes, even her sister!"

"No!" Maria screams.

Maya shakes her head beside me. "Nick, you shouldn't have gone there."

"Could the defendant please control herself?" the judge says sharply. "Mr. Wright has made some valid points. I would like this matter to be clear as crystal when I rule on it, so both sides should investigate further. We will reconvene in two days." He slams his gavel. "Court adjourned!"

"Good job, Nick!" Maya congratulates me. "Now you've just got to find some definitive evidence….."

* * *

A/N: I feel like nobody reads my Phoenix Wright stuff, but that's okay. I write this for the pure enjoyment of writing it. Plus, if you have no readers, you don't have anyone pressuring you! YAY!


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